16 Jan East Bay Regional Park Eliminates Dog Fees, Simplifies Others

Miller/Knox Regional Shoreline in Richmond is part of the East Bay Regional Parks District. (“View from Nicholl Knob” by Tom Christensen on Flickr, used under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 license)

By Michael J. Fitzgerald

A new fee schedule for East Bay Regional Parks eliminates fees for dogs, implements a flat $5 fee for parking and makes changes to swimming fees, day camp fees, special event fees, concessionaire fees, parking citation penalties and vehicle release fees.

The new fee schedule was approved in December and went into effect Jan. 1.

The flat fee for parking is expected to make it simpler for the public when visiting regional parks. The new $5 flat fee does not apply to Del Valle Regional Park in Livermore on weekends and holidays April through Labor Day. Del Valle has a flat $10 entrance fee on those peak days that covers parking and other fees.

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Although the $2 per dog fee has been eliminated, dogs are still required to be on leash in designated areas, including parking lots, paved trails, picnic areas and within 200 feet of trailheads and park entrances. Dogs must also be on leash around horses and in parks where cattle are present, officials said.

More information about regulations on dogs is available at ebparks.org/dogs.

Officials noted that a dog permit is still required to walk more than three dogs at a time. Professional dog walkers are required to obtain a permit regardless of how many dogs they walk at one time. More information on obtaining that permit can be found at ebparks.org/permits.

East Bay Regional Parks fees are assessed to help recover costs of providing various services. This updated fee schedule streamlines pricing and better reflects the cost of services and impacts on the park district, officials noted.

Park district officials also said user fees are reviewed annually and changed as needed.

The full fee schedule for 2025 can be viewed here: www.ebparks.org/sites/default/files/2025-Fee-Schedule.pdf.